Elevator



' April 28, w. w. WILSON 8 ELEVATOR Filed May 15, 1940 2 Sheets Sheet l I gwucwvbo'o April 28, 1942. w. w. WILSON 2,281,128

' ELEVATOR Filed May 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 28, 1942 UNlTED STATES FATENT OFFICE ELEVATOR William Webster Wilson, Huntington Park, Calif. Application May 15, 1940, SerialNo. 335,364

18 Claims.

This invention relates to a well tool and more particularly to that type of tool known as an elevator for raising and lowering well casings, tubings, sucker rods, and any other members of well equipment, that is, an elongated string adapted to be removed from a deep well.

An object of this invention is to provide an elevator which will positively engage an elongated string and hold the same if the door of the elevator is not closed or latched.

Another object is to prevent the latch from being opened when the elevator is supporting an elongated string of pipe or the like.

A further object is to provide means on the body of the elevator to support the door in such amanner that the weight of the string. of pipe is not on the door or its supports.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the detailed description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the elevator with the door closed.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the elevator with the door open.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the elevator with the door closed, showing the latch in engaging position in full line and in disengaging position in the dotted line.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the elevator with the door opened.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure l, and

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional View of the body taken on line l! of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, l is the body of the elevator having a bore 2 therethrough, through which the string of pipe or the like passes. The upper end of the bore has a raised portion 3 which extends above the top, surface of the elevator and has therein a countersink forming a pipe supporting surface 4. The lower surface of the pipe supporting seat is squared, so that the coupling collar of the pipe string may rest squarely on this surface. The pipe supporting seat extends through an arc of more than 180 of a circle within the body. Immediately below the pipe supporting seat the bore has a downwardly extending face 5, that is straight, leading to an outwardly slanting portion 6 immediately below the straight face. Below the slanting portion 6, the bore extends the full length of the body in a comparatively straight manner, as shown at 1.

On the leading edges of the pipe-supporting seat 4 are inclines 8 which aid in seating the pipe-coupling collar when the same is surrounded or engaged by the elevator. These inclines have their high point at the outside of the pipe-supporting seat and slanting downwardly and inwardly, toward the center of the body. When the elevator engages a pipe-coupling collar with the door open and the coupling collar is past the center of the bore, the inclined members 8 will force the body of the elevator forward on the coupling collar, so as to positively seat the same upon the pipe-supporting seat and the elevator will not thereafter be disengaged from the pipe string. However, under the same conditions, if the coupling collar is forward of the center line of the bore when the elevator engages the coupling' collar, the inclined members will force the elevator from the collar and disengage the same from the elevator. These inclines are a safety measure in the event of failure to close the door. They. prevent the elevator from picking up a string of pipe when the pipe string is forward of the center of the bore, thus causing the elevator to become disengaged from the pipe string, and dropping the same and injuring the workman.

The elevator is provided with a door 9 for the purpose of closing the bore so as to positively lock the pipe string within the elevator. The door is hinged to the elevator by means of the pintle pin l0 passing through pintle retaining members H and I2 on the door and I3 and M on the body of the elevator. The pintle pin ID has an enlarged head portion l6 which is received within the pintle retaining member I3 of the body and the pintle Ill is locked within the body by means of a key I! passing through an opening Mia within the body and enlarged head It of the pin. An important feature of the enlarged head is is to prevent the pintle II] from being thrown from the body of the elevator upon sudden deceleration or braking of the elevator when the same is in use. As anyone skilled in. the art will know, the elevator is placed about a section of pipe near the top of the well and is then pulled up the pipe by means of a cable and winding drum (not shown) with great speed and force. When the elevator engages the coupling collar of the pipe, it is suddenly stopped, due to the weight of the pipe string and the friction of the pipe string in a deep well. This sudden deceleration or braking of the elevator causes the. pintle to shear its locking pin and to be thrown from the elevator, allowing the door to open and the pipe to be dropped, thus causing injuries to the workman. The enlarged head [6 cannot pass through the bore provided for the pintle pin in the body of the elevator. In order to make the hinge pin and door mounted thereon freely movable, I provide a lubricant coupling l8 at the upper end thereof through which lubricant may be forced into the channels provided in the pin and its bearing surfaces.

On the opposite side of the doorway and mounted on the front face of the elevator body is a latch member l9. This latch member is nonrotatably mounted upon a horizontally disposed hinge pin which extends through the body of the elevator. The hinge pin 20 has a hexagonal end thereon upon which the latch member I9 is fitted by means of a hexagonal recess in the outer face of the latch l9. Beyond this hexagonal recess the latch has a circular opening through which the shank of the pin 20 extends. Thus the latch is non-rotatably mounted on pin 20 and is also held against outward movement by the shoulder formed on the hexagonal head. The other end of the hinge pin of the latch has a nut 2| threaded thereon which is locked thereto by means of a cotter pin 22. Surrounding the nut is a coil spring 23 having one end thereof passing through the end of the hinge pin 20 and the other end held in a recess 24 in the body of the elevator. This coil spring is under constant tension, in order that the latch may be urged toward locking position at all times. When the door is unlocked and the latch released, it will return to locking position through the influence of the spring.

The pivot pin 20 is lubricated by a lubricating recess 25 having a grease gun connection 26 at the end thereof for forcing lubricant toward the pivot pin and around the same in order that it may be freely movable within the body of the elevator.

The body of the elevator has a recess 21 in its front surface for receiving the lug 28 on the door when the same is closed. Below the recess the body is extended as at 29, having a slot 30 in this extension which receives a finger 3| on the latch member Hi. This recess and finger positively lock the door in closed position. The latch memher is extended as at 32 to provide a handle for manipulating the same. has a lug 33 thereon engaging an offset portion 34 on the body to prevent the latch from being opened beyond a predetermined amount.

The door 9 is provided with a bore which, when closed, and in combination with the bore of the elevator, will make a complete circle and also has a pipe-supporting surface 35 similar to the pipe-supporting surface 4 in the body of the elevator. A handle 36 on the door is provided for the workman to open and close the same.

The body of the elevator has an upstanding housing 31 in which is contained the grease gun coupling 26 for providing lubricant to the latch hinge pin 2!] and also a housing for the upper portion 38 of the latch member I9. This upper portion of the latch member is curved upwardly and inwardly toward the bore of the elevator and has a toe 39 on the end thereof which is adapted to engage the coupling collar of a. pipe if the same is being supported by the elevator and to prevent the latch from being moved to the unlocking position of the door. When no pipe is being supported by the elevator, the latch is freely movable to unlocking position. However, if the elevator is raising a section of pipe or is sup- The latch member [9 l porting the same, the latch cannot be either accidentally or purposely moved to unlocking position, thus allowing the door to be opened and the elevator to accidentally drop the pipe upon the workmen.

The elevator cannot be removed from the pipe, until the pipe has been placed in a rack or any suitable supporting means, and the elevator lowered on the pipe away from the collar so that upon moving the latch IS, the too 39 will not engage the collar or enlargement of the pipe and prevent the door from being unlatched.

The door 9 is so supported upon the elevator body through the pintle pin housing 13 and the extension 29 below the latch lug 28 that when the door is closed and a pipe is being supported by the elevator, the stress of the load is removed from the latch lug 28 and the pintle Ill. The extension 29 and the pintle housing I3 extend beyond the front surface of the elevator in such a manner that a line between these members will pass outside of the pipe-supporting surface 35 of the door. It will, therefore, be seen that the weight of the pipe will be supported by these members and remove all stress from the latch lug 28 and the pintle Id.

The elevator has at each end thereof means for engaging the links on the end of the raising cable comprising arms 4!! extending from the bottom portion of the elevator and arms 4| extending from the upper portion thereof with openings 42 between the arms into which the links are passed. Each arm is provided with a bolt 43 having two sets of threads 44 and 4'5 thereon, the set 44 being adjacent the head of the bolt and the set 45 being slightly past the center towards the end of the bolt. The opening in the arm 4i is provided with one set of screwthreads 46 near the upper surface thereof. The purpose of these two sets of threads on the bolt and the one set within the elevator body is to provide a means for retaining the bolt within the elevator body while the links are being attached to the elevator. When the lower set of threads 45 on the bolt 43 are held by the threads 46 in the arm 4!, the link may be passed between the arms 40 and 4! into the space 42. After the link is in position, the bolt 43 may then be turned and dropped into the arm 4| until the threads 44 thereon engage the threads 46 in the arm, whereupon the link is held within the opening 42 and cannot be removed therefrom.

I claim:

1. A pipe elevator comprising a body and a door, a pipe-supporting seat on the body and door below the upper surface thereof, the body having inclined faces forward of the center line of the body, and inclining upwardly and forwardly of the pipe-supporting seat.

2. A pipe elevator comprising a body and a door, a pipe-supporting seat on the body and door below the upper surface thereof, inclined faces on the forward portion of the body, said faces inclining upwardly and forwardly of the pipe supporting seat.

3. A pipe elevator comprising a body and a door, a pipe-supporting seat on the body and door below the upper surface of the body, inclined members on the forward portion of the pipe-supporting seat, and inclining upwardly and forwardly of the pipe-supporting seat.

4. A pipe elevator comprising a body having a bore therethrough, a door on the body, a hinge pin for the door having a head on the lower end thereof, whereby the pin will not be thrown from its mounting upon sudden deceleration of the elevator.

5. A pipe elevator comprising a body having a bore therethrough, a door on the body, a hinge pin for the door, said hinge pin having a shoulder bearing on a shoulder in the body to prevent longitudinal movement of the pivot pin.

6. A pipe elevator comprising a body, a door pivotally mounted thereon and having a lug on its free end, a latch member on the body engaging the lug, said latch being non-rotatably mounted on a horizontally disposed pivot pin.

'7. A pipe elevator having a body, a bore therethrough, a door pivoted to the body and closing the bore, a lug on the door engaged by a latch to lock the same in closed position, the latch being non-rotatably mounted on a horizontally disposed pivot pin, and means on the latch to prevent the same from moving to full open position when a pipe is being supported by the elevator.

8. A pipe elevator comprising a body and a door, a latch on the body to lock the door in closed position, the latch being non-rotatably mounted on a horizontal disposed pivot pin, and means on the pivot pin to urge the latch to looking position.

9. In a pipe elevator comprising a body and a door, a latch on the body to lock the door in closed position, the latch being loosely mounted on a pivot pin, but restricted from rotation about the pivot pin.

10. A pipe elevator comprising a body and a door, a latch on the body to lock the door in closed position, the latch being non-rotatably mounted on a horizontally disposed pivot pin, and means for lubricating the pivot pin.

11. A pipe elevator comprising a body and a door, a latch on the body engaging a lug on the door to lock the same in closed position, an extension on the lower portion of the body having a slot therein, a finger on the latch being received in the slot when the latch is in locking position.

12. A pipe elevator comprising a body having a pipe-supporting bore therethrough, a door closing the bore, a latch on the body engaging a lug on the door to lock the door in closed position, an extension on the body, upon which the lug rests, and having a slot therein in which a finger of the latch passes when in looking posi tion.

13. A pipe elevator comprising a body and a door, bail engaging elements on each end of the body comprising two arms, a bolt in one of the arms having two sets of threads thereon engaging one set of threads in the arm whereby the bolt may be held either across the opening between the arms or removed from the opening but not from the body.

14. In combination with a pipe elevator having a body, arms on the body for engaging supporting links, a bolt in the arms for retaining the supporting links, and having means thereon for keeping the bolt in link-retaining or non retaining position.

15. A pipe elevator comprising a body having a bore therethrough, a door on the body, a latch operating between the door and the body, said latch being non-rotatably mounted on a bolt which is rotatably mounted in said pipe elevator. 1

16. A pipe elevator comprising two hinged members adopted to surround and support a pipe, a bolt rotatably mounted in one of said members and a latch non-rotatably mounted on said bolt and engaging the other of said members to hold it latched in closed position.

17. A pipe elevator comprising two hinged members adopted to surround and support a pipe, a bolt rotatably mounted in one of said members and a latch non-rotatably mounted on said bolt and engaging the other of said mem bers to hold it latched in closed position and spring means for urging said latch toward its closed position.

18. A pipe elevator comprising two hinged members adopted to surround and support a pipe, 5. bolt rotatably mounted in one of said members and a latch non-rotatably mounted on said bolt and engaging the other of said members to hold it latched in closed position and spring means for rotating said bolt so as to urge said latch toward its closed position.

WILLIAM WEBSTER WILSON 

